Salt Road buses de-branded?

[AdamH]

I would love to see the 144 extended back into Birmingham, back where it all started well over 100 years ago now. However, it wont be happening any time soon. Under the ownership of First, the Worcester network has been cut back so far that it will take years to recover to a point where a big expansion outside of the current core network would be viable.

I do think there is still hope for Worcester. The current leadership in Bristol seem to want to reverse the rot but, unlike other operators not too far away, their hands are tied by a local authority that has no interest in public transport.

September is traditionally a time where operators update their services for the new academic year, and First are set to go public with their changes sometime during the next week. Don't expect any big headlines, but do expect the news to be positive rather than negative. And don't expect any help from the local authority, the improvements that are being made may be small but that is because First will be footing the bill and taking a commercial risk. Lets hope it pays off for them so they have the confidence to make further improvements in the future.

[ANDREW]

I am 100% with Tim Brown in that very few people who only use the bus once in a blue moon realise that a single fair is £2 with distance no object. On a lighter note ,if I remember correctly , when the X43/44 service was still operating ,the last 144 of the evening was often worked with a Leyland /Plaxton coach.

[bmmoboy]

In the last few weeks before covid, the average daily total number of passengers travelling between Catshill and Brum was 25, over around 14 services. Around 1.45 per journey, that was why the service finished.

[SEVERNLINK]

Noticed 69456 had spent the night in Wychbold.It was parked in the bus stop by Chequers Lane on Sunday evening and still there early Monday morning.According to the tracker had been there since about 9.30 Sunday morning

[DD12]

According to the national First "fleet list" on bustimes.org 69436 is the first of the Salt Road buses to leave -- for Cymru.

[bmmoboy]

If any damage occurs on Salt Road vehicles, repairs are undertaken, but it is not worth putting the branding back as they are all going to Cymru shortly.

I have been told that all the transfers of vehicles between FMR and Cymru are due to be completed by September 1st, ready for the amended timetables. I don’t know how this will be done, as only around 10 vehicles have swapped over a period of around 8 weeks.